Local Favorite Has Record Day

How about this for a final headline to the final day of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials:

Local Girl Makes World Record.

Stacy Dragila, who lives 30 minutes down the road in nearby Auburn, came to Hornet Stadium on Sunday and in front of cheering family members and friends, broke her own world record in the women’s pole vault by clearing 15 feet 2 1/4 inches.

“What a relief,” said Dragila, who had set the previous record of 15-1 3/4 on May 1. “Coming into this, I was nervous. Because this is home for me. But then I went 15-5 in warmups and I said, ‘Wow! This is pretty dang awesome.”

After setting the world record, Dragila took three official tries at 15-5 but failed.

Dragila will be joined on the U.S. women’s pole vault team by Kellie Suttle (14-6 1/4) and Melissa Mueller (14-2 1/2).

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Gail Devers’ Olympic medal drought in the 100-meter high hurdles should end in Sydney as she ran an American record of 12.33 seconds to blow away a good field.

The former UCLA star won the 100 in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, but finished fifth in the hurdles in 1992--after hitting the final hurdle while leading--and fourth in 1996.

Devers moved to fourth on the all-time world performer list and lowered her American record of 12.37 set in winning the world championships last year.

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The women’s 800 was a family affair as Hazel Clark finished first in 1:58.97 with older sister Joetta Clark-Diggs third in 1:59.49 and sister-in-law Jearl Miles-Clark second in 1:59.12.

Miles-Clark, the American-record holder at 1:56.40, placed second in the 400 earlier in the meet to become the second woman--Jarvis Scott was the first in 1968--to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the 400 and 800 in the same year. Clark-Diggs, 37, made her fourth Olympic team.

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Defending Olympic champion Allen Johnson looked like his old self in winning the men’s 110-meter high hurdles in 12.97, the fastest time in the world this year.

He withdrew from the semifinals of the world championships last year because of a calf injury, but won the Olympic trials for the second consecutive time as 1996 silver medalist Mark Crear was second in 13.11 and Terrence Trammell finished third in 13.19.

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Marion Jones was officially named to the U.S. women’s 1,600-meter relay pool, giving her the opportunity to compete for five gold medals in Sydney.<

Jones doesn’t ordinarily compete at 400 meters, but she ran the world’s second-fastest time of the year, 49.59 seconds, at the Mt. SAC Relays in April.<

At the Olympics, Jones will also compete at 100 and 200 meters, in the long jump and in the 400-meter relay.